A giant snowman at the entrance square of the Sun Island scenic spot in Harbin, capital of Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, attracts many tourists to take photos, on December 18, 2024. Photo: VCG

Song Tao, head of the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, and Ma Ying-jeou, former chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang, attended the opening ceremony of the cross-Straits youth ice and snow festival in Harbin, Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, on Thursday, China Central Television (CCTV) reported.

During the opening ceremony, Ma noted that the festival offers Taiwan youth a rare and valuable life experience. Despite the icy and snowy external environment, the exchanges between youth from both sides of the Taiwan Straits are warm and vibrant — a phenomenon we hope to see,Ma said.

Ma emphasized that such enthusiastic interactions can melt even the hardest ice and snow, deepening friendships and paving the way for a brighter future across the Straits, according to the report.

A delegation of young people from China's Taiwan island led by Ma is in Harbin for a nine-day cross-Straits youth exchange program running from December 18 to 26.

The cross-Straits youth ice and snow festival, scheduled to take place from December 18 to 24 in Harbin and other cities in Heilongjiang, is featuring a range of activities, including the screening and awarding of short videos created by young people from both sides of the Straits, alongside immersive winter sports experiences. 

About 1,000 individuals from Taiwan, primarily young people, are expected to participate in the event, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Wang Ping-chung, a Taiwan political news commentator and former spokesperson of the New Party, told the Global Times that through exchanges between young people on both sides of the Taiwan Straits, it is increasingly important for them to realize that people on both sides share a close kinship, and that the future of Taiwan is closely intertwined with the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Through Ma's visit, more people in Taiwan are expected to learn about the city of Harbin, and a wave of enthusiasm for ice and snow is expected to rise on the island in the future, Wang said.

Apart from attending the opening ceremony of the cross-Straits youth ice and snow festival, the delegation led by Ma visited Harbin Electric Corporation on Thursday. They listened to the introductions of the latest developments in China's energy industry and technological advancements, the Global Times learnt at the scene.

On Thursday morning, Song and Ma experienced snow carving and participated in the building of an "Ice Great Wall" in Harbin. Ma and young people from Taiwan also recited a poem about snow from the Tang Dynasty (618-907).

Ma and his delegation are expected to visit Southwest China's Sichuan Province on December 22 after the trip in the northeastern region, according to udn.com.

The visit to mainland provinces of Heilongjiang and Sichuan is Ma's third visit to the mainland in two years. In April 2024, Ma took along some Taiwan youth to the mainland for a trip he described as "journey of peace."